Pitching staff continues to struggle for Red Sox

Saturday

Aug 23, 2014 at 6:20 PMAug 23, 2014 at 6:22 PM

The Red Sox' pitching staff is flawed, too.

Boston's hurlers have been able to hide behind the failures of its hitters, but Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Mariners was another instance in which the offense got a lead for pitchers who could not hold it.

By Bill Ballou TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

The Red Sox' pitching staff is flawed, too.

Boston's hurlers have been able to hide behind the failures of its hitters, but Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Mariners was another instance in which the offense got a lead for pitchers who could not hold it.

In this instance, it was a particular pitcher, Brandon Workman. The Red Sox had a 3-0 lead going into the fourth inning and Workman gave it up before you could say "Koji Uehara." The Mariners scored seven runs on seven hits in the inning, the last hit being a three-run homer to right by Dustin Ackley.

Workman was reached for seven runs in 3 innings and his record fell to 1-8. He has lost seven straight starts, something no Boston pitcher has done since some time before 1987.

It marked the second straight game, third time this homestand, and the sixth game in a month, that Boston pitching could not protect a three-run lead. Uehara blew a 3-0 lead on Friday night and Clay Buchholz coughed up a 3-0 lead against the Angels on Wednesday night.

Boston also blew three-run leads on May 1, May 24, July 23 (Buchholz again), Aug. 2 and Aug. 3.

The loss was the Red Sox' seventh in a row. They are 2-8 on a homestand that ends this afternoon.

Boston scored single runs in the first, second and third against Seattle starter Chris Young. The winning pitcher was Tom Wilhelmsen in relief. The Red Sox had nine hits, including three by Dustin Pedroia, but were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Boston batters are 4 for 57 with men in scoring position during its seven-game losing streak.

Napoli returns

Mike Napoli returned to action after sitting out three games with a sore back, David Ross handled the catching duties and Brock Holt was Boston's starting shortstop.

Xander Bogaerts is following a standard protocol for dealing with a blow to the head, after he was beaned by Felix Hernandez on Friday night, so was not available. The team is hopeful Bogaerts did not sustain a concussion.

Pitcher Joe Kelly, who left after five innings on Friday night while working on a shutout, has undergone tests and declared ready to remain in the rotation. He felt what Red Sox manager John Farrell described as a "sensation" in his right shoulder on a pitch Friday night and was take out as a precaution.

Ross earns first ejection

Ross was ejected from a game for the first time in his career when he argued a checked swing in the eighth. The catcher tried to hold up on a 3-2 pitch but first base umpire Vic Carapazza called him out, and it certainly looked like Carapazzo got it right.

It took the umpire a while to toss Ross but he eventually had no choice when the catcher came down the line to continue to debate.

Webster takes on Iwakuma

The series, and homestand, concludes with a game at 1:35 this afternoon. Allen Webster, who has the best won-lost record in the Red Sox rotation at 3-1, will be the Boston starter. Hisashi Iwakuma, who is 12-6, gets the ball for Seattle.

Offense fails with bases loaded

The Red Sox had two chances to create big innings by getting a hit with the bases loaded. They failed on both occasions. As a sign of how things have gone this year, Napoli struck out with the bases full to end the fourth. He is 1 for 8 (.125) with 5 RBIs in bases-loaded plate appearances this year.

Napoli was 11 for 24 (.458) with 31 RBIs with the bases loaded in 2013.

Streak ends for Ortiz

David Ortiz reached safely twice, snapping his streak of reaching base four times in four straight games. Charlie Furbush hit him near the left elbow with a pitch in the sixth, but Ortiz stayed in the game to run the bases before getting the rest of the day of.

It was just the third time this year the DH has been hit by a pitch and first since May 30.

Alex Wilson did a retaliatory hit on Robinson Cano in the seventh and both teams were warned by plate umpire Angel Hernandez. Cano walked very slowly to first pondering his reaction but nothing happened.

Diamond Dust

Ortiz is expected to play this afternoon, Farrell said. … Yoenis Cespedes, who had a sacrifice fly, has 17 RBIs since being acquired from Oakland.